Female vets changing face of VA, military

Women play a large role in the military that is only getting
bigger. Recently they were allowed to serve on submarines, and if
the new recommendations of an independent diversity commission are
followed, they'll soon be serving in combat units.

In the past 30 years, the number of women in the services has
doubled, and they now compose 14 percent of the active-duty force,
17.5 percent of the reserves and 20 percent of new recruits.

Those numbers are expected to double in the next decade.

At least 250,000 American women have served in Iraq or
Afghanistan. San Diego County is home to 25,000 female veterans,
and about 7,500 of them are enrolled at the San Diego Veterans
Administration.

Those numbers are changing the VA. There are more child-friendly
waiting rooms than there used to be. In recent years, the VA San
Diego Healthcare System has hired specialists in gynecology and
mammography. Both services used to be contracted out.

The San Diego County VA is also considering opening women-only
clinics, especially for those suffering from military sexual
trauma, a condition common enough to have its own acronym, MST.

In 2008 and 2009, PTSD, hypertension and depression were the top
three diagnostic categories for female veterans treated by the VA.
Those needs will probably only grow.

Jennifer Roberts is the Women Veterans Program manager at the
San Diego VA. She's seeing more females enter the local VA than
ever before.

"We've seen a 25 percent increase in the number of women coming
through our door," she said. "In fiscal year 2011, we've had about
4,000 women accept care, and of those, a little over 1,000 are
OEF/OIF (Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom)
veterans."

In part, those numbers are being pushed by a poor economy that's
forcing women to take jobs that often offer no medical benefits,
and thus they turn to the VA. Another factor is high rates of
post-traumatic stress among women, often related to sexual
assaults.

"I think that it (MST) is something that is definitely not
talked about as much as it is happening. ... There is a stigma
attached to saying you were the victim of a sexual assault or some
sort of trauma (involving) someone you served with."

This April, the VA will hold the first MST forum ever in San
Diego County.

More female veterans are flocking to the VA. But they are also
landing on the streets for a lack of housing options.

Marilyn Cornell is the clinical director at Veterans Village of
San Diego, a residential treatment program for homeless male and
female veterans with substance abuse and other mental health
problems.

For 11 years she's worked as a mental health consultant to
homeless women's services at Catholic Charities, specifically
Rachel's Women's Center, which serves homeless and low-income women
in San Diego.

Cornell also volunteers for Stand Down. The three-day event,
sponsored by the Veterans Village, provides outreach to homeless
veterans and their dependents each July in San Diego.

Last year, Stand Down saw the ranks of homeless women more than
double from the year before.

While still a relatively small number ---- 51 ---- Cornell
expects it to rise.

She said San Diego County lacks adequate emergency shelters for
homeless women who aren't engaged in substance abuse.

"There aren't a lot of places for women to stay and feel safe,"
Cornell said.

Contact Roberts at 858-642-3676. Call the Veterans Village
number at 619-497-0142 or visit vvsd.net.